


A little bit too late

by NoLongerSleepy



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Romance, Broken Promises, Childhood Memories, F/M, Goodbyes, Heavy Angst, Moving On, One Shot, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25383751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoLongerSleepy/pseuds/NoLongerSleepy
Summary: Do wishes written on paper come true? Or as the ink fades away, its possibility fades away, too.
Relationships: Furuichi Sakyou/Tachibana Izumi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 32





	A little bit too late

**Author's Note:**

> Thia is the first fic I've written on ao3, and I haven't written for such a long time, so please bear with me! Comments (especially constructive criticism) are highly appreciated!

"Excuse me, I'd like to order some beer!"

Hmm. This place is bursting with customers like always. 

Maybe it really was the correct decision, after all. 

I should stop bearing this regret, and move on from the past.

There was nothing else I could do, anyway. 

* * *

"Wait, ain't you the cheeky little brat who came to our practices before?"

Huh?

What I saw when I turned around was the rough mug of a man I thought I'd never see again.

"Yuzo... san?" 

He grinned and slapped my back.

"Wow you've grown a lot! I almost didn't recognize you, if not for those iconic moles under your damn eyes!" He joked and put his arm around my shoulder. 

"And you still look like a thug." I snarled back and sighed. Can't believe I bumped onto this guy of all days.

"Says the yakuza." 

This made me silent. But still, he smiled and roughly pat my head. This damn geezer still treats me like a kid!

"I suddenly want to drink some sake. Come with me for a bit, kid."

I sighed again. "Even if I refuse you're going to drag me along anyway, right?"

"Wow you know me so well for a damn brat."

I sighed again for the third time.

But when I looked back at him, his eyes looked so _soft_ , which shocked me, unable to utter a word.

I averted my eyes from his and noticed his fancy clothes. Did this geezer just received an award or something? 

"...Why are you wearing a tuxedo, anyway? It doesn't suit you, even one bit ya know." I commented while looking at his outfit. 

His white tuxedo was a huge contrast to his face, that it looks weird to me.

"Huh? Oh, right. Ya didn't get invited. I came from a wedding ceremony. That was today, you know." He answered while fixing his tie in front if me proudly. 

"Why would I get invited to some stranger's wedding?" I asked with a confused expression on my face while we walk towards the nearest bar. He spoke as if I had known about it all this time. 

The night breeze is cold. I guess it is indeed perfect for some sake tonight. 

"Wait, ya didn't even know the news?" He asked, bewildered. 

I grew even more confused. What is this geezer talking about? 

"Like I said—"

"It was Izumi's wedding today."

Huh?  
Did I... hear that right?

"Huh?"

I stopped in my tracks and looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. 

Hesitation was apparent in his eyes, but he still continued anyway.

"It was the director's daughter's wedding today."

Wait, what?

I just stood there, unable to comprehend what he just said.

I saw him look down and scratched his head.

"I'm sorry, you looked a bit down when I saw you earlier, so I thought you already knew."

His mouth kept moving, as if he was talking, but I heard nothing. 

It was as if time had stopped.

Everything went silent.

What do you mean she got married today?

That little girl?

Memories from when I was a child flooded back to me, and I suddenly felt my eyes going damp.

"Oi brat. Oi. Oi Saky-"

"Yuzo-san. I... I suddenly remembered I have business to do tonight. So, uh..." I stuttered and quickly left without even hearing his answer. 

Am I... crying?

Damn, I'm already so old but look at me, still crying like some lost kid in a park.

Before I knew it, I almost couldn't see anymore. 

Tears blurred my eyesight so much that I couldn't tell anymore where I was.

But I kept walking anyway. 

I want to get lost. 

~~I want to disappear.~~

Maybe this pain will stop then.

My knees went soft and I slumped to the ground the moment I realized where I ended up.

"So this is still where I end up unconsciously, huh?"

It was dark, but the sole lamp post inside this park made me able to recognize where I was.

_"Woaaah! It has a big playground!" Her eyes twinkled while she jumped up and down from excitement._

_I can't believe Yukio-san will ask my help to babysit his daughter. Not like I know how to handle kids._

_"Ye— hey wait!" I grabbed her hand before she could run. "You don't need to rush. Let's go together. I can't have you getting lost on my watch."_

_"But you're so slow! I want to play already!" She pouted while glaring at me impatiently._

_Cute._

_"You're such a brat." I teased her and tightened my hold on her hand. "Let's go."_

~~It hurts.~~

Step by step, I found myself walking towards the swing. 

_"Hey Sakyo-nii-chan, push me in the swing!" She exclaimed while pulling me along._

_She just finished playing on the monkey bar, so I think she's tired. She wants to rest, and make **me** do the work this time. _

_"You're such a handful, you know?" I sighed, but proceeded to push her anyway._

_She giggled and smiled widely. "Yay! Thank you, Sakyo-nii-chan!"_

_Yeah. Her smile was enough. It made me feel things._

_I want to see it forever._

_Her smile was so bright, that I my lips curled up without me knowing it._

_"Ah, you smiled!" She snickered teasingly. "You always have this serious look on your face." She went on a poker face, as if imitating me._

_I looked at her expectedly. Is this girl teasing me accidentally?_

_Then her smile returned and her index finger pointed towards_ _her smiling lips. "_ _But you unexpectedly look so good when you smile, Sakyo-nii-chan!"_

_I felt my ears grow warm. What is this kid even saying?!_

_"You saw wrong." I denied, but she still smiled knowingly._

_How cheeky._

~~It hurts.~~

Even with seeing almost nothing from all these damn tears, I managed to be able to sit on the swing. 

This park... I often went here when I want to remember my memories with her.

But now, every time I'll set foot here— no—even just by remembering this place, I'll no longer be able to smile and think "ah, I want to see her again."

It'll only be regrets... and pain.

My hands gripped the swing as I grit my teeth in tears.

I'm so ridiculous. 

I couldn't do anything. 

No.

I didn't do anything. 

I'm just a ~~loser~~ who only know how to wish hopelessly.

There are so many things I could have done. I could have tried harder. 

Not just for her, but also with theater. I should've just threw my damn pride and shame on the fucking trash can. Maybe I could've continued acting. 

Maybe I wouldn't be this miserable. 

Maybe I wouldn't regret it so much.

In the end, nothing happened. 

And now, that girl—my first love— is gone. 

"Damn it..." I muttered, feeling so overwhelmed by emotions. 

When was the last time I felt such things?

I looked up at the night sky. I can't see the moon. Hell, I can't even find a single star.

"I thought you'd promised to marry me?" I couldn't stop myself from blurting out.

_"Uuuu... Sakyo-nii-chan! Listen to this! Daddy said something so horrible!"_

"How could you get married to someone else?" 

_"Huh? What did Yukio-san say?"_

"How could you leave me behind after crying to me to marry you when we grow up?"

_"Daddy said i may not be able to visit for a while! Even after he promised me he'd bring me along again!"_

"You lifted your pinky and promised me! Do you even remember? Your face was even filled with both tears and snot because you cried so much!"

_"O-Oh. Really? Yukio-san said that?" I tried to not sound taken aback by what she said._

_"Uh-huh! And that I was leaving tomorrow!"_

I don't care anymore if there were people who'd hear me. 

They can think that I'm crazy.

They can think what they want.

~~I can no longer endure this pain silently.~~

_"Oh."_

_That was the only thing I could say after hearing that._

_So she's leaving tomorrow._

_It was only a few weeks, but... she definitely grew on me._

_Well, it was tiring to take care of this obnoxious brat who kept leading me to places I've never been to._

_"That's why!" She suddenly shouted, and I blinked twice after she held my hand tightly, like she never want to let go._

_"...what is it?"_

"I've loved you! From the moment you entered my life! You gave me a dream! Even if I was never able to reach that! It's because you grabbed my hand and pulled me along with you!"

It's so frustrating. 

I feel so tired.

My chest hurts. 

I want to forget everything. But I can't. I just... can't. 

~~I can't forget about you.~~

_"You have to promise me!"_

_I looked into her eyes, it was a look of determination._ _What could she be thinking?_

_"Promise you what?"_

_I saw her swallow and closed her eyes tightly. Her chest moved as she breathed heavily._

_Huh? Why does she look a bit nervous?_

_"You have to promise... you have to promise to marry me!"_

_I stared at her with my mouth open._

_What..?_

_Her scream was so loud that other people heard it, I'm sure!_ _I felt my face grow hot, along with my ears._

 _A thousand thoughts ran through my mind at this moment._ _But the only thing I could answer was a mere "are you an idiot?"_

How do I move on from a love that ended before anything even started?

Someone... no, anyone... Can anyone please tell me?

_"Wha— you don't want to marry me?!" She sulked and started crying once more._

_I heard giggles and soft teasing from the crowd, saying "hey, don't make her cry now that she's had the courage to propose" or "it's time for you to answer, boy."_

_I became so embarrassed that I yelled "Shut up!" and dragged her to a place without much people._

_I was probably red from being so flustered._

_Crap._

_"Uuuuuu..." she continued to sob and I sighed._

_I put my hands on her shoulders to make her look at me._

_"Listen... do you even have any idea what marriage means?!" I scolded her._

_It's not like i dislike the idea, but a-anyway!_

_"Uuuu. But I like you, Sakyo-nii-chan!"_

_My face grew hotter and I tried to calm myself down. Crap. How am I supposed to handle such a straightforward confession?!_

_I breathed and looked into her eyes before answering._

_"Okay. I... I promise to marry you in the future."_

_She looked like a mess. Her hair was a little messy, her nose was red from crying, and tears— and even snot— were all over her face._

_Still cute though, I admit._

_The moment she heard my answer, her eyes twinkled and she let out such a happy smile._

_"It's a promise, then!" She held out her pinky in front of me._

_"Honestly, a pinky promise? You're such a kid." I muttered and unknowingly smiled as I reached my pinky to hers._

_"See? I knew Sakyo-nii-chan looks better when smiling!"_

I tried to stand up but had no strength. I slumped onto the cold, hard ground.

I reached for my wallet and took out a small piece of paper.

It was all worn out, but the thing I wrote on it was somehow still readable. 

"I want to see her again." I read it over and over, like a prayer to a god who's not even listening. 

I thought wishes you write from your fortune being told would come true if you hold onto it.

Look at this! I never lost it, not even once! So why didn't my wish come true?

I kept staring at the paper which held what I wished for the most.

Like my dream, and my only wish, the paper slowly broke apart as cold drops of rain came one after another. 

So this is it, huh.

~~This is the end.~~

I felt cold... so cold. 

I don't even have any strength left. My eyes hurt, and I just want to sleep.

Maybe this is all just a dream.

* * *

"So? How is it? The kids in my theater are great, right?" His smirk was so annoying.

"Did you just invite me to goad about your troupe, geezer?" I sighed at him. 

"Oh come on, don't tell me ya didn't enjoy it!" This old man is so childish sometimes. 

"Well, yeah. The pacing was good, and the actors were definitely something. I'd hate to admit it but— "

"Yuzo-san! That was incredible!"

"Oh, Izumi! You made it!"

I froze on the spot. 

Don't tell me...

"Of course! O-Oh, sorry! You were talking to someone, how rude of me. I'm sorry!" I looked back and saw a woman bowing her head to me.

"N-No, it's fine." I answered softly, I'm not even sure if she heard it.

"Wait, huh? Do I... know you from somewhere? You seem familiar." I felt her eyes on me. The moment I laid my eyes on her, I couldn't take them off anymore. She's still beautiful. She only grew older, but she had the same face of the little kid who proposed to me in public.

"No... I believe this is the first time we met." I smiled and shook my head. 

There's no point in telling her about me anymore. 

The old geezer looked concerned from my lie, but I gave him an "it's okay" smile. She doesn't need to concern herself to me.

She shouldn't look back anymore. 

"O-Oh, I see. I must have been mistaken. I'm sorry!" She awkwardly bowed and smiled in an embarrassed manner.

Yeah. Cute. Just like from before. 

"Izumi! So this is where you were." I heard a man's voice from behind me. 

"Ah, sorry! I was just so excited to greet Yuzo-san after that breathtaking performance from his troupe!" She smiled so... happily.

Yeah. That's the kind of smile I want to always be present on her face. 

I'm glad that she's happy. 

"Well, I got some business to attend to. Thanks for inviting me, geezer. Later... Izumi-chan."

I muttered softly while I walked away but it seems she heard it.

Glad my steps are quick, though. I managed to escape into the crowd.

Well, she can at least think of me as a mysterious man who called her in such an intimate way. 

So my wish did come true.

It was a little bit ~~too late~~ , though. Maybe I should have been more specific.

Oh well.

Good bye, my first love. 

In our next lives, if we ever meet there, I'll never let you go again.

_Ever._


End file.
